Cleveland Marathon 5K — F75-79: Veenhuizen edges a tight three-way battle at the front

• Jean Veenhuizen (Mississauga, ON) won the F75-79 age group in 54:51 at a 17:39/mi pace, finishing nearly a minute clear of the field's closest challenger.
• The top three were separated by just 64 seconds — Kathryn Mancuso crossed in 55:50 and Ann Costo in 55:55, just five seconds behind her.
• A significant gap separated the podium from 4th and 5th: Mary Ann Devogel (1:09:51) and Lynn Cram (1:10:02) ran their own close battle, finishing just 11 seconds apart.

Five women in the 75-79 age group toed the line in Cleveland on a humid Sunday — 67°F with 83% humidity and a 15 mph wind that made every step feel harder than the clock suggests. Jean Veenhuizen, 75, from Mississauga, Ontario, made the trip count. She led the group home in 54:51, running a steady 17:39 per mile to claim the age group title by 59 seconds.

Right behind her, Pittsburgh's Kathryn Mancuso and Lakewood's Ann Costo waged a genuine battle for the podium. Mancuso finished 2nd in 55:50, with Costo just five seconds back in 55:55 to take 3rd — a margin slim enough that a single extra breath could have reshuffled the order. Both women ran within 21 seconds of each other across the full 5K, making theirs the tightest duel of the morning in this group.

Further back, Beverly Hills' Mary Ann Devogel and Kirtland's Lynn Cram ran a parallel contest of their own. Devogel came home 4th in 1:09:51, with Cram finishing 5th just 11 seconds later at 1:10:02 — a reminder that racing instincts don't fade with age. All five women finishing a 5K in challenging conditions at 75 or older is the real headline.